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I rarely buy lingerie anymore (for obvious reasons, I have no more room in our two-room flat!) but when I do, it’s those pieces that I have considered long and hard. I am actually pretty considerate when it comes to buying pretties: I usually wonder and weigh on my purchases for months and really think hard if I want and need the item in question. I don’t have tons of spare coins and I like good quality clothing that is ethically made, so I save my pennies to buy something absolutely gorgeous or adorable.

So, I decided to make my first lingerie purchase in probably years and invested in a My Retro Closet “Jayne” nightie in red – I just couldn’t resist the ruffles, the adorable shoulder-ties and the way it spoke Xmas to me. Regardless of it being a Christmas season treat to myself, I decided to review it here now as I truly think this piece of heaven deserves a special mention here on my blog.

I have admired My Retro Closet’s pieces for a while and they struck me as something we could have seen on the actresses of Mad Men or in the sleepover scene in Grease – perfect 50’s-60’s style boudoir glamour that look both effortless and sexy. I was first wary about the fit and the look this nightie would give me – I wasn’t sure if it was going to sit nicely on my larger-than-average bust and I was afraid of looking frumpy and shapeless in it. There were also not specific sizes when it came to the Jayne babydoll, which is not usually good for busty ladies like myself. However, the website said it would fit UK sizes 8-16, so I decided to give it a try.

My fears were not in the right at all, as the cut is very generous and would probably fit a plethora of body shapes and sizes. The tie-shoulders help with adjusting the neckline to a height that suits my body (and my mood!) the best. I find the shape rather flattering in its unique way – it’s rather innocent while being so flowy but also a bit naughty as it is a see-through fabric. The see-through aspect of it is not the most obvious which is something I like – I want just a hint of my skin showing through.
My Retro Closet’s own house brand is usually made-to-order, with the exception of some special sale events when the owner (a lovely lady, if I may say so!) sews a few of the most popular styles ready-to-ship. I ordered my Jayne babydoll during a 20% flash sale but yet it was made-to-order – however, I told the owner that I needed the item by a certain date for a special occasion and she made sure to sew and ship it in time, so it arrived in Finland several days before the D-day. I was ecstatic and can only say good things about the customer service! She is also a doll on social media and always replying to her customers questions on there as well.

When the parcel arrived in just a few days after shipping, I was happy to discover a lovely neatly wrapped babydoll in it – and it was even more gorgeous than I had hoped it to be! The quality was impeccable and you could see it was made with love. Some of the best lingerie money I have seriously ever spent (and I have spent quite some…)! The colour was a perfect true red which suits perfectly Christmas, Valentine’s Day and pretty much any day you want to feel sassy and retro.
I am very much of home-type of person – I do like my nights out and going to gym and strolling in the city centre etc, but my bed is literally the best place I know. Preferable with my loved one (don’t you think dirty there!). Even though I got the Jayne nightie for a special occasion, I do find it rather practical as well. Sure, I would never give up my Bambi onesie I got from Disneyland – after all I got proposed in it! – but I also sometimes like to feel a bit feminine without giving up my comfort either. This is where the Jayne comes in – it makes me feel so sexy yet not exposed nor uncomfortable at all.

Depending on the time you order, the made-to-order items at My Retro Closet take about 2-6 weeks to sew and ship. So if you have a day you need them on, please make sure to order in time and leave the owner a note! The Jayne range also features a bralette and panty set I very much have my eyes on – I am just hesitant to make a purchase because of my bust size. However, I have ordered some other items from them and they have always been beautiful and great quality. This store and it’s lovely owner get a huge thumbs up from me! If you are interested in your very own Jayne, it costs £75. However, they do have regular sales for a few % off if you are on a budget! And even on regular price, I can tell the products are totally worth it 😉

Let’s face it: most of us women have worn or will wear shapewear at some point of our lives. Whether it’s what makes you more comfortable in a slinky dress for a night out or perhaps a more formal occasion, most of us like to keep our figures smooth when wearing something body-contouring. I don’t wear a ton of shapewear but when I do, I have quite a few demands for it: it has to be rather comfy, suck my tummy in a bit and keep things smooth while covering VPLs and VBOs. I had been looking for something for my special occasions to wear under my most tight-fitting pinup dresses and BAM, I stumbled upon Rago Shaperwear at Salon International de la Lingerie. We chatted with their chairman Justin and he instantly asked us whether we would like to write about Rago. After a while I was holding my first Rago pieces in my hands and trying to squeeze myself into the tiniest pieces of shapewear I had ever seen!

This is how the garments actually look like. Not the prettiest of underwear but then again, they are supposed to be functional rather than pretty!

For some general information on Rago, I must tell you that they are an old company, founded just after the WW II in 1945. The designs are still quite similar to what they used to be in the 50’s so I would almost call Rago a vintage shapewear reproduction brand. They do have some more modern pieces as well, but I think the styles they are known for are the good old-fashioned girdles that suck the tummy in and give you curves for days. The sizing is a bit ‘vintage’ as well, with the garments being a bit on the smaller side (waist size 28″ is a Medium like with most reproduction brands like PUG) and the is fit very curvy indeed. Rago recommends that you go up a size if your waist-hip difference is more than 10″. The size range is amazing, going up to 8X with some of their garments.

As a rebel, I simply could not obey the 10″ sizing rule, of course. My waist is 28-29 and my hips 39-40 which means there is a good 11″ between them. This did not cause any trouble however, so I could after all squeeze myself into the garments. However, if you prefer lighter shaping and a more comfortable feeling, I would recommend going up a size if you are between waist sizes. As Justin told me, most first-time Rago customers may go up a size at first but when they return, they may even prefer a size down as they are used to the tight grip of the garments.

Rago prides itself in being one of the few brands on the market that claim to make you look slimmer by a whole dress size – this is up to debate of course and depends entirely on how much squish you have on your body. With mine, there’s not a ton of it (I do definitely have some but not loads and loads) meaning the reduction is not super obvious but the garments still give me a nice curve and do some smoothing, depending on which style I go for.

This is what the 821 Waist Cincher looks like under clothing. The Serena gown is by Collectif and a size UK 10.

The one that I have been wearing a lot is the 821 Waist Cincher. By waist cincher I do NOT mean a true corset cincher nor a waist trainer, but a a sturdy shapewear garment that has some boning and a lot of stretch to it. The 821 has a ton of hook and eye closures at the front which can be quite a task to close at first – it takes a bit of practice and some sweat to get the thing closed but if I can do it, anyone can. For me the 821 was a tiny bit too short as I am long-torsoed (for reference, 12-13″ from under bust to the end of lower belly) but I still don’t think it looks bad under my clothing. I would prefer it to be a bit longer though, so I would avoid any possible back bulges and a leaner look on the lower belly area.

To say the least, the 821 cincher really works – I have not seen anything like it before and for creating killer curves it’s the best non-real-corset waist cincher I have found so far. However, you need to remember that shapewear NEVER reduces your size really – it just pushes the fat to different places, meaning with the 821 it pushed my squish from my waist upwards and downwards. If you already have some softness to your belly like I do, it may create a small bump on your belly, meaning it will not give you the flattest tummy on earth. It’s not meant to do so either – waist cinchers are by definition shapewear that is supposed to make your waist appear smaller and hips wider. If you have a significant amount of fluff on your tummy and prefer to have it smoothed out, I would suggest the 6207 for this purpose.

The 6207 offers even more firm shaping than the 821 – the name of the product is a High-Waist Leg Shaper. The product features garters, an open gusset and is meant for intense butt and thigh shaping. For me, this is not really my so called “problem area” as I don’t gain weight on my thighs and hips but they are quite firm already. However, I do like a flattening effect on my tummy when it comes to skin-tight dresses so for that purpose, the 6207 is a great product. This is probably the most shaping you will ever get out of a shapewear product unless you are willing to go for items that have zippers – those suckers are even firmer!

The 6207 is quite hard to get on and it’s not a pretty sight when you try to do so – it’s a whole lot of wiggling and sweating. However, when you get it on, it looks quite nice under pencil dresses and skirts! It does not offer the same curvy appearance but almost flattens me out a bit from all angles, but for a tummy flattening effect and an overall smooth silhouette it’s the best shapewear you can find, I assure you.

I have to note though that my body has changed a tiny between the pics above. The first ones with the cincher have been taken in April and the ones with the 6207 were taken yesterday – with a body that hasn’t hit the gym in two weeks because I have been ill. Technically I have been sick with flu for three weeks now and was stupid enough to go to the gym after the first week and hence, the whole thing got even worse. This means there may have been some minor changes to my figure as I haven’t been able to train my muscles and have tried to been as non-active as possible to regain my health.

When it comes to comfort, the Rago pieces are not something I would wear for a whole day and night, not at least now. I suspect though that they might need some getting used to, as I haven’t worn super firm shapewear before. The waist cincher is something I prefer for the comfort of my skin: it doesn’t have any silicone on it, which makes it much more comfortable to wear than the 6207. The silicone strips of the 6207 make my thighs itch after a while, which is not something I can stand for a whole night of partying. However, I do have a dry sensitive skin with the occasional open wound here and there, so please bare that in mind when considering if this would be a suitable product for you.

So does Rago hold its promise of making me look a dress size smaller? I would say not for me, but it’s not what I aim for with my shapewear. I want something that will smooth me out, make me sit straight at a formal event and make my dresses look the best they can on me. This is definitely something that can be achieved with both of these pieces, although they are different in function and purpose. If you are a bigger lady than me, I would imagine they might even reduce your dress size! If you would like to get your hands on Rago, some of the best places to buy them would probably be Secrets in Lace, American Shapewear and Classic Shapewear. The 821 waist cincher sets you back at around $40 and the 2607 Leg Shaper at around $60 and they come with an amazing size range of S-8X.

When it comes to buying dresses I am a complete hoarder and sucker for anything pinup-esque. However, there is always the problem of le boobs – last week, I had to return two lovely dresses to their warehouses as they just wouldn’t go over my chest. This is when the boob-friendly clothing companies come in to play and they have never disappointed me yet. When the Polish curvy clothing brand Urkye offered to send me their brand new Koperta dress to review, I was instantly smitten to have something to fit my curves properly. All of the pics are by the lovely Tiina from a Finnish blog called Kissanpäiväkimara.

The Koperta is a classic stretchy cotton-blend wrap dress. It hits me just above the knee which is very flattering length on almost anyone, unless you are super petite. I fell in love with the Tuba dress last summer and the Koperta is growing to be my next new favourite for this spring. As the Tuba is definitely more of a summer style, the Koperta sports short sleeves and a more flare-y skirt part which makes it great for layering up with a cardi and thicker tights as well. I chose to style the dress with a rather traditional pinup way – a vintage scarf, mid heel pumps, hair flowers and and a skinny belt to cinch the waist in.

The Kopertowka dress comes in three different colours for this spring season: Black, Red and Forget-Me-Not Blue. Obviously the special name of the blue one drew me in and I decided to opt for it as I already owned a few black and red dresses in similar styles. The decision was definitely right – I got so many compliments wearing this dress to a pub on Friday night and it seems to flatter my eye colour and skin tone very well.

Sorry for the weird-ass ribs! I know they are super prominent but what can you do…

When it comes to sizing and fit, I must say I was very pleased with both. The size chart would put me at 38ooo but as I had worn the Tuba dress successfully in size 36o/oo (click for the review!) I decided to just go up with the bust size, to a 36oo/ooo. These dresses have a lot of stretch to them so I would say it really depends on how you like your fit to be – tight or loose – and then go with that. I like a tighter fit to accentuate my curves and a little less coverage on the bust so the oo/ooo was a good option. However, the neckline is pulled quite low in the pictures and if you wish, you could opt to wear it higher for a more modest look. For reference, I wear a 32G Gossard Retrolution bra under the dress.

The sizing with Urkye works in such way that you will opt a certain bust size in addition to your regular European dress size. The sizes go from o/oo to ooo with the first fitting someone moderately busty and the ooo fitting an extremely busty figure. My bust is rather full but I do fine with both of the smaller sizes rather than ooo as I don’t like a lot of coverage over my chest. The dress size itself is regular European sizing in which I’m usually 36-38 (or UK 10-12).

If you gals want to get this dress for yourself I must say it’s a bargain for such great quality! The blue colourway is sold for 145 Polish Zloty which is about 35 euros – not bad, huh?! The shipping costs are reasonable too, depending on your parcel weight of course. How do you like the dress and have you ever tried anything from Urkye? Did you like how I styled it? Let me know in the comments! :)

EDIT:If anyone of you my dear readers is still interested in getting their own Koperta, Urkye has offered you a code to get 10% off both their short and long-sleeved Koperta dresses! Use the code 2CAKES at the checkout to claim your discount. The code is valid until 10th of April 2015.

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